Schools for illegals?
It’s amazing the people with no skin in the game can demand anything. Maybe they should try their country of origin, which might accommodate their request. We are barely opening the schools for American citizens, and these immigrants are demanding separate schools. I thought we as a country are in “equality” and “equity” mode, and now non-citizens are demanding segregation. But the real problem lies in that the administration will give into their demands without asking the taxpayers.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
Choose life
In response Mel Flitter’s request for our opinion on abortion (3-3-21), the hard questions you pose can be answered only within the realm of God’s love — a love so immense that He gave His only begotten son to redeem us through His suffering.
To the parents of a raped child, we say, yes, your child will suffer greatly, but because the mother is innocent, she will be given that peace that only God can give. However, if she kills her baby, she is traumatized again, but this time, she is guilty, and she will never get over it. Ask any aborted woman, and she will tell you. I have heard their stories.
The one closest to me is my dear friend’s mother, who, because of the financial crisis in her life, experienced great despair and tried to abort her by sitting in a hot tub of water — the method many women used at that time –but it did not work. So, she went to the doctor for an abortion. The good doctor, practicing medicine within God’s realm, refused. “Of course,” he said, “you can have this baby, your husband will find a job.” So, he did; and my friend lived, and we have enjoyed a lifetime friendship. But the mother continued sharing her story with everyone hoping to unburden herself until two weeks before she died when she asked her oldest daughter, “Do you think the Lord has forgiven me?” She did not even have the abortion, yet she felt guilty in her heart (where all sin starts) thinking that she tried it.
Another story is that of a colleague, also living within God’s realm, whose 14-year-old daughter was raped by a retarded young man. Suffering the agony of having to tell his daughter that she will have to keep the baby, he prayed earnestly. Then, instead of having to tell her, his daughter came to him: “Daddy,” she said, “I am going to keep this baby!” The baby is also retarded but brings joy to every family event with his affection and love for everyone. A baby always brings God’s love into this world.
For the late-term baby who has been diagnosed with brain damage, doctors have often been wrong as to how long any person will live. You mention that abortion devalues a human life. Is it not better to have the baby born naturally and experience the love of its parents for the short time it will live, than to be traumatized by being slaughtered in the womb. I recall the experience of Sen. Rick Santorum and his wife Karen in reference to their eighth baby, Bella, born with Trisomy 18, a disease where most babies do not live more than 10 days. Rick and Karen made a commitment with their six children (their seventh child was delivered prematurely and died immediately after birth) to love the baby with all their hearts for as long as she lives. After several hospital treatments, Bella is now a thriving 12-year old. Rick and Karen wrote a book about her life entitled Bella’s Gift, in which they share her life filled with love, peace and joy that transformed all of their lives.
God’s love is creative, healing and transforms us unto eternal life. Let us not cut short God’s love for anyone’s life.
Helena T. Gaydos
Holme Circle
Thank you, teachers
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers held its ground against the school district’s proposed unsafe COVID opening.
It isn’t like they were not teaching our children but they wanted the students, their families and all of us Philadelphians safe from spreading the COVID virus.
Only certain schools so far have been deemed safe and are open.
What would have happened to us if we listened to Superintendent Hite with all those cheap window fans?
We should show our gratitude to our underpaid teachers when they come hat in hand for a new contract later this year.
Mayer Krain
Modena Park
Don’t buy Easter pets and then dump them
Each year, parents and others buy ducklings, baby chicks, rabbits and goslings on impulse for Easter. Most of these animals are discarded once the charm of “oh, how cute” wears off, and they are dumped in parks or abandoned at a pond where they will not survive. These animals are domestic breeds and have no wild instincts. They are totally dependent on humans for food and care. The vast majority end up killed by wild predators, loose dogs and feral cats, starve to death, strangle in fishing line, or get hit by cars. The only food they get is when people toss them bread, which has zero nutrition and causes external and internal deformities in ducks and geese. Dumping these animals is also illegal and can be fined, but most of all, it is extremely cruel.
Animal rescuers are already overwhelmed with spring baby animal issues, and the heartbreak of having to rescue mortally injured, dumped Easter pets just puts further stress on them. The injuries seen on dumped domestics are truly horrific, and few survive.
Please – if you cannot commit to giving these animals a forever home (about 10-20 years, depending on the animal), then please only get an Easter “pet” in the form of candy or a toy, not a live animal. Also, ask your child’s school NOT to hatch out birds and release them in parks and ponds.
Arlene Steinberg
Bustleton
We want our fair share
Are you happy writing that massive check this year to pay for your property taxes? Be prepared for it to be much bigger during the next reassessment.
Half of the money goes to the public schools that have been closed for a whole year, even though many students have tuned out to online learning. Kids will merely be pushed onto the next grade with deficient skills.
The teachers union, constantly making excuses, but always fully paid and suffering no consequences, is sort of like the mafia — except the gangsters at least got things done.
The rest of the money goes to our fully-paid city government. Try to visit the courts, get a vaccine or your trash picked up, or even request a library book (I’m waiting months for some items.)
Some have talked about NE secession from the city, which is problematic. One thing we can do is demand our fair share of services for our taxes.
Since we are determined to elect the same corrupt Democrats forever, do we have a local law firm or (God forbid) a politician with the guts to lead a tax revolt?
I’d prefer to pay taxes into a lawful escrow account — not released until the city gives us the services and accountability we deserve.
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
